Against All Odds

Poise. Good teams have it. Bad teams don’t. The 2010 49ers did not have it. The 2011 team most surely does.

The 49ers completed a season sweep of the Seahawks Saturday in a game reminiscent of their victory over Detroit earlier in the year. They had to overcome adversity on the road on a short week in a loud stadium, rally down the stretch with a clutch 4th quarter drive, and then close the door with one last defensive stop to seal the win.

That is four 4th quarter come back victories on the road this year by the team and its QB Alex Smith. The last 49er QB to post this gritty stat was Joe Montana in 1989. That 1989 team is considered one of the best squads of all time, maybe THEE best one. Getting into the same exalted space as that club is a major achievement for this current team. And this current QB.

In winning this game, the 49ers put themselves in the driver’s seat for a first round bye in the playoffs. A scenario that did not look likely after the loss to Arizona two weeks ago. But the team has beaten Pittsburgh and Seattle to keep its hold on this seed, with only a season ending win over the Rams standing in their way. These guys are good.

Marshawn Lynch got his arm inside the pylon as he was running for his life to the sidelines, technically qualifying as a Rushing TD and thus ending the season long shutout the Niners had accomplished. He sure didn’t make it the old fashioned way earlier in the game when he had two chances inside the four and was stuffed both times. Larry Grant missed a tackle in the backfield on his TD “run” and it was hard not to mumble, “Patrick Willis would have made that play.”

But Grant redeemed himself on the final Seahawks drive by stripping the ball from Tavaris Jackson, causing a game ending fumble much like the one Justin Smith pulled off in the Eagles game. In all fairness to Grant, he has played great in Willis’ absence. Still, Patrick would have made that play. And Lynch knows it.

Of far greater importance was the 41 yard bomb from Smith to Michael Crabtree on the game winning drive. That was precisely the deep sideline pass that had been eluding these two guys all year. We even saw Vernon Davis making two tippy toe catches at the sidelines on a previous TD drive. As most of you know, tippy toes and Vernon are not usually associated. In fact, Vernon had blissfully thundered OB on a pass in the first half, failing to get those dainty little digits on the grass first. Good old Vernon. Maddening one moment, heroic the next.

Other players deserving of mention: Kendall Hunter, Chris Culliver, Aldon (14 sacks!) Smith — goodness, these guys are all rookies! And let’s hear it for the entire Offensive Line. What a solid, mistake free game. On the road.

There hasn’t been a true 49er rivalry type opponent since the Cowboys in the ’90’s, but the bad blood in the Arizona game and this Seattle game looks like it could produce some terrific black and blue football in the coming seasons. The NFC West is most definitely on the rise. There will be no laughing stock winners of this division for quite some time. Here’s hoping the Niners stay ahead of the curve in seasons to come. For this season, there is no doubt who is Number One. Go Niners!!!!

Merry Christmas to all the Niner Faithful!
Game was exciting but have to keep harping that Ron Pitts and Charles Davis are as bad as they come for announcers and like I said can I get a replay of significant plays and a visual rather than Pitts and Davis telling me what I saw. I have never watched a game where they
didn’t show a replay of the scoring play.
It would also have been nice to show the breakdown in blocking that led to the blocked punt but the director of the broadcast was on a coffee break.
As I said, what good is having a sideline reporter if they don’t update you on siginicant injuries?
Walker and Williams were never mentioned again after they left.
Local YV does a better job on the preseason games than the Fox Crew.
OK I got tthat off my chest.
Have a wonderful holiday. Go Niners!

That 40 yard pass play was great to see…if Smith and Crabs are starting to click together…wow…this would be the missing element… also Skeebs you mentioned how the NFC West isn’t the doormat anymore and is starting to get respect …the funny thing…most of the media darlings are looking pretty mediocre …and for all the hype NFC East gets…their the division looking to be on the decline…the winner is going to be 8 and 8….hahahaha…Go Niners….

Pete Carroll is complaining about his team not getting a false start penalty on the botched 3rd and goal play. Is that pathetic or what? Hey, Pete, it was 4th and 1. Why are you wimping out with a FG? Don’t you think “The Beast” can gain a measly yard? Not much of a beast.

About Pete Carroll’s complaint.
The broadcast team whiffed on that one too. If there was a false start you think they might have tried to verify by showing a slo mo replay. Nope.
AS for Pete Carroll if you are on your opponents 1 yard line and you have a hammer like Lynch, wouldn’t you go for it and make the score 14-3 and bury you opponent? Even if you fail Niners have to go 99 yards at the 4 minute mark of the first half.
Pete Carroll, “What’s your deal?”
No faith in Lynch getting a yard in “beast mode”?

I think there to be a lot of Tony Romo naysayers and haters on this blog. Calling him a “choker” and one who can’t win the “Big Game.” Well if that’s the case, you must surely love his Week 17 matchup vs the G-Men with EVERYTHING on the line.

Put your money where your mouth is. Bet against Tony Romo this week. He’s going to lose, right? So say you at least. Then make some free money by betting against him and the Cowboys next Sunday. Who doesn’t enjoy “Easy Money?” Another Rodney Dangerfield hilarity.

I will be betting ON tony Romo this week. As Bill O’Reilly is wont to say, “What say you?”

Tomy Promo is the biggest overhyped piece of shit since Joe Namath. Eli will clean his clock. In the mean time, Tim Tebow kneels at the altar of Satan. The problem is Re-undeal Al beat him there, so Timmy kneel-down and pray plays his team out of the playoffs.

At least Eli has shown that he can win big games. For all the glory that Tony Promo gets, he’s done nothing with the tons of talent that jerry jerk-off has amassed. One playoff game? Wow. I’m so impressed. All Tony has done is fumbled FG snaps, and thrown picks when the chips are down.
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Yer a joke, Dennis. A laughable poser of a clown who can’t admit he’s wrong. The Niners may not win the super bowl this year (how’d that 3-13 call work out?), but you’ve spent the whole time whining about Alex Smith. The guy that has engnineered 5 4th quarter ccomebacks. 4 on the road. The team is going to the playoffs. But no, you have to whine like a sub-moronic bitch.
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Keep it up, Skippy. I suppose if they do win it all, you’ll whine like V used to about parity, Georgia Frontierre, and escaped goats, and how Smith can’t win 5 super bowls in one year.

Yada. Yada. Yada. Not once in your three comment tirade did I see you mention that you’ll have money on the Giants. Didn’t you just send off one of your kids to college? Wouldn’t it be grand to give your child a free scholarship courtesy of another “Tony Promo choke job?”

You know the man I admire the most? The one who either eats steak and lobster or bologna sandwiches all week because of his gambling.

Either put up or STFU against Tony Romo. But I know you won’t. Tony is your worst nightmare. And when he wins Sunday night it’s gonna eat at you like a crab clawing away in the dusky bottom of the sea. Speaking of crustaceans…when I’m enjoying my lobster with drawn butter on Monday Night, I’ll be thinking about you.

I don’t bet anymore. Those days are long gone. Tony is my worst nightmare? God, get a grip, Skippy. Tell it to the church lady.
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Put up or shut up? Big talk from a guy on the edge. Let’s see. You’ve been proven wrong 12 tines this year. You said 3-13 on my blog. That’s what I’m going with. . .
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If Promo wins, hey, I’ll be thrilled. I could give a rat’s ass if Romo wins next week. All it means is another playoff loss. Again. He’s the Marty Schottenheimer of QBs. Can’t win the big one. Choke-ola choker. Suckfish. Toadie. He might as well be the singing quarterback.

Looking over the replay several times the blocked punt was the end result of Goldson (one of the blocking upbacks) not blocking the rusher but releasing to go cover. Bonehaed play and not lee’s fault.
Goldson can be great but he also is very bad sometimes. WE need a more consistent S to get to the next level.

That was a rhetorical question. You, your mom, your uncle, your 1st cousin, your 2nd cousin, your 3rd cousin by marriage, your mailman, your insurance salesman, your broker and even your old kindergarten teacher knows what the hell we need to get to the next level.

Steps. Steps are what are always needed to get to the next level. Alex Smith, falling down a flight of steps…

“You can see that the #1 seed has about six times the chance of a wildcard team to make it to the Super Bowl. The #2 seed has nearly five times the chance. These are enormous differences, and they’re due to seeding effects alone.

Right now the 49ers and Saints are jockeying for the #2 seed in the NFC. The loser of that battle will fall from a 29% shot to an 11% shot at making the Super Bowl.”

First round Bye is that importatnt. It 100% assures you
a second round game. Playing a Wild Card exposes you to possibility of defeat ala Saints last year.

Del- I just looked it up because what you said did not make sense tome. I think maybe you were just quoting Chris Collisworth. The Packers have the 13th rated defense and they are 1st in interceptions. The Patriots are 15th. Collinsworth was going by yards. Yards don’t win games, points do. I go by points allowed.
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When one considers NE and GB are usually ahead by a lot early, that makes them prone to giving up a bunch of passing yards from teams trying to catch up. Every time I watch GB their defense looks good to me, especially Charles Woodson. I don’t think NE will be in the SB because their defense is not nearly as good as GBs.

GB gave up 400 to the Chefs. The Chefs! I’m not that impressed with their defense. They have a great offense that wins them a lot of games. I think the Niners can stop them and control the clock. It would come down to our red zone success to win the game. Because Gore and co should be able to get yards on them.
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With their O line woes, they are eminently beatable.

It is not always about stats. GB leads the league in ints. Right now one of their starting D-linemen is down, Pickett. He’s a good run stuffer and it hurts them to not have him in there. I think I heard he’ll be back for the play-offs. They do not have a great defense but it is much better than most give them credit for. NE’s defense is bad. I don’t think they’ll last long. Maybe one win in the playoffs. Depends on the match-up.

interesting stat 2011 Alex Smith is tied with Joe for most come from behind victories in a season with 5 1987 was Joe’s who would have thought that would ever be close with Alex as the QB.
just the word playoffs gets me pumped